Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV

Broga yoga for men - more macho, less mantra

by

NEW YORK Apr 27, 2015 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Apr 27, 2015 12:00 am
Men who crave the benefits of yoga but recoil at sharing the experience with a room full of women are turning to Broga, a rugged take on the 3,000-year-old practice of movement and breath.

Broga celebrates the physical over the spiritual, and strength over flexibility. Experts say it sets men free to flex tight hamstrings without hearing invocations to Hindu deities or feeling inept next to a woman twisted like a pretzel.

"I consider myself an athletic guy, but have never been flexible and didn't like the thought of embarrassing myself in front of a group of women," said financial analyst Eric Wright, 22, of San Jose, California.

Wright and his male colleagues use the video streaming service Grokker to practice.

"On Wednesdays we have a standing Broga appointment and anywhere from five to eight others will join me," he said.

Grokker founder and C.E.O. Lorna Borenstein said more men are adding yoga to their exercise routines as a cross-training tool for flexibility and improving recovery time."Men are a little late to the party," she said, "but we're seeing more men in the workplace who find time to do yoga together a few times a week."

Yoga instructor Robert Sidoti, based in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, is the creator and co-founder of the trademarked Broga Yoga, which so far has trained some 200 Broga instructors in at least 22 states.

Sidoti taught his first Broga class in 2009.

"A lot of guys were saying 'I can't touch my knees, let alone my toes. I would never go to a mostly women class and do things I'm no good at,'" said Sidoti, whose sequences are designed with men's bodies in mind.

"We rarely go into poses that require deep forward bending, twisting and binding," he said, adding a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sequence is included.

Broga talk is also anatomically driven.

"It's not so much about feeling your heart center as feeling the stretch across your chest," Sidoti explained.

Jessica Matthews, senior adviser for health and fitness education at the American Council on Exercise, said most men tend to view yoga as a workout rather than a spiritual practice.

"They celebrate the physical," said Matthews, who is also a yoga teacher.

Wright said Broga has improved his hamstring flexibility.

"Four months ago I couldn't touch my toes and today I can almost reach my palms to the ground," he said.
About the author
Research Associate at Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Apr 27, 2015 10:12 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    life
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    No Image
    Erupting volcanoes, snow and underwater Santas: Weekly top photos
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021